Vehicle signal



April 2l, 1925. 1,534,943

J. GONZALEZ VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed Feb. 13, 1924 2 SheefS-Sheet l 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb, 15, 192,4.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

Unirse ST1-Eg entrer Fries.

JOSE GONZALEZ, O31" TAMPA, FLORIDA.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, Joer. GQNZALFJ, acitizen of the United States, residing at Tampa, in the county ofHillsborough and Stato of Florida, have invented a new and usefulVehicle Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide `a device which may be used-asaVtail-light on an automobile, or as a signal for the purpose of makingit manifest to the drivers of other vehicles, that the vehicle whichcarries the signal is about to be brought to a stop, the constructionbeing such that the device may be used either inthe daytime or afternightfall. 1 v

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

IVith the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription p roceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed,changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown, can be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention.4

In the drawings z- Figure 1 shows in perspective, a device constructedin accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a transverse horizontalsection; and Figures' and4 are bottom plans showing the operatingmechanism in different positions. l

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a box-like main casing1, equipped with any suitable means 2 whereby the casing may be mountedon an automobile. The casing 1 comprises translucent panels 3 and 50,the panel 3 carrying a monitory legend 4, such as the word Stop,although a marking of any desired sort may be placed on the panel 3. Itmay be desired to have the panel 3 show red. On the casing 1 is mountedan auxiliary casing 5, carrying a lens 6 which, may be red, the parts 5and 6 constituting a parking-light. Within the casing 1 is located alamp 7 which may be an electric lamp or any other kind of a lamp, thelamp 7 serving to illuminate the panel 3, the lens 6 being illuminatedby a lamp 51 the parking-light 5-6.

A folding shield and sign 9 is provided,

and comprises an inner member 9 and an outer member 10, the shield beingprovided with a hand 11 or other indicator. A hinge 12 connects theinner member 9 of the shield and sign 8 to one corner of the-casing 1,

the hinge 12 cmnprising a spring 14 which tends to swing the member 9around, in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1, until the member 9extends along onel side 17 of the casing 1. A hinge 15 connects theouter end of the inner member 9 of the shield 8 to the inner end of theouter member 10 of the shield, the hinge 15 including a spring 16 whichtends to swing the member 10 in the direction of the arrow B until themember 10 overlaps, shields and covers which carries the monitoryposition of Figure 1, the indicator 11 may be illuminated from the lamp7. The pane 18, however, may be omitted if desired.

A means is provided whereby the shield andsign 8 may be swung from theclosed position of Figure 2 to the opened or outstanding position ofFigure 1. Having this consideration in mind, a guide tube 19 is securedto the bottom of the casing 1, and in the guide tube slides an operatingmember 20, which may be a light chain, a wire or the. like. Theoperating member 20 may be connected to the brake mechanism or to thegear shift, or the member 20 may be operated independently of either ofthe instrumentalities above alluded to. In order to facilitate thesliding movement of the operating member in the guide tube 19, the guidetube is equipped at its inner end with a flared mouth 21 which is shownclearly in Figures 3 and 4. By means of a link 22, the operating member20 is connected to the intermediate portion of a radius arm 24, thepivotal mounting of the link 22 being designated by the referencenumeral 23. One end of the radius arm 24 is pivoted at 25 to the bottomof the casing 1. In the opposite end of the radius arm 24 there is anelongated slot 28. One end of a retractile spring 26 is connected to theintermediate part of the radius arm 24, the opposite end of the springbeing anchored at 31 on the bottom of the casing 1. In the slot 28 ofthe radius arm 24 a pivot element 29 is adapted to move, the pivotelement 29 being mounted in one arm 30 of abell crank lever 3l,fulcrumed at 32 on the.V bottom of the casing l, the bell crank lever 31embodying an arm 33 adapted to cooperate with adepending finger 3st onthe member 9 ofthe folding shield and sign 8.

The mechanism above described is used to swing the member' 9 of 'theshield and sign 8 into the outstanding' position of Figure 1, and, inorder'to Vswingthemeniber 1() ofy the shield and sign into the posi-tionshown inv that iioure, a 4link 35 is pivoted at 361to the side '1r ofthe casingl, the link extending through an elongated slot 37 in themember 9;v The oute'r end of the link 35 is pivoted at 38 toalnk39",-ivhi=clr, as shown at 40, is pivoted to the outer member 10 ofthe fold-ing shield and sign 8, -the toggle connection between theparts17 and 10 thus being' afforded.

Ther spring lil-tends to swing the member 9` against the side 17 of thecasing 1, and the spring 16 tends to swing thel member 1'0 across'the-transparent panel 3, as shown 4in Figure '2. Then a pull is exertedon the operating member 20, swinging movement is imparted to the radiusarm 24, by way of the link 22, the arm 24 swinging on its pivotalmounting 25, and the spring 26 being` put under tension. From the radiusarm 24, motion is imparted to the bell crank lever 32, the lpivotelement 29 on the bell crank lever moving in the slot 28 of theradiusarm 24; The part 33 `of' the bell crank lever 31, cooperatingwiththe finger 34 on the-member 910i the shield and guard 8, swings themember`9 into theoutstanding position shown in Figure 1, and, bypw'ay ofthe toggle links 35 andl 39, motion Vis-transmitted to the outer memberl0 of theshield and guard 8, the member S'being, swung into alignmentwith the member 9, in' an outstanding position, asV depicted kin Figurel. When'the pull on the operating. member 20'ceases1thesprings16and1flre'aot to dispose thefparts `10 andi-9 di thefoldingshield and sign in the position shown in Figure 2.

-In thedayti-me, the indicator 11 gives the desired information, andafter nightfall, the marking 4 gives the desired information, relativeto the stopping of the vehicle.

yHaving' th'us' Adescribed the invention, what I claim is: v

In a device ofthe classdscribed, a cas- -ing having' a signal whichis`A` visiblewhenA "thecasing isfillnrnnated, a combined shield beinghinged to the Casin-g" vand :bifg

adapted to extend aflongoe side ff the casing When'the shield andsigr'ris closed, and the outer "member beingladapted to c'o'vcrthesignal whentihe "shield andfs'ig is closed, springfmeans for swingingthe shied andsign toa closed position with lrespect to the casing, andmeans'fo; svviigin'g"the sh'ie1d1and "sign to an operi outstandingposten with respect to the'L casing, the means for swinging the shieldand sign to an open position embodying a radius' 'arm mounted toswingenl the casing, a' lever connected with the radius 'arm andcooperating with the inner member of the shield 'andsign, the

